Shrinking Violet
by SoulEater994
Summary: Tomoya was happy when he was in the basketball team. Of course, fate has other plans for Tomoya. After a fight with his farther left him perminently disabled, He is sent to Yamaku Academy, there, he meets a timid girl.
1. Petal 1: A new door always opens

I'm probably going to start hating this town. I've recently started Hikarizaka High School upon a sports recommendation for Basketball. I was actually happy to be on the team and had a purpose in life. My team mates relied on me and I relied on them. I felt I belonged there.

Of course, fate had other plans for me, Tomoya Okazaki, why does all the bad stuff happen to me? I'm now lying in a hospital bed with my shoulder bandaged up and my arm in a sling. According to the doctor, I won't be able to lift my right arm above my head ever again. That means I'll never be able to play a full game of Basketball again.

Sure, I can drill with the team like nothing is wrong, but what would be the point? I'd just end up resent them and become depressed every time a match comes along. I'll just have to quit and sever ties with the team.

The doctor that has been taking care of me for the past few days knocks on the door then enters with a slightly forced smile on his face. He was then followed by… him…

"Hello Tomoya-Kun…"

The other man says. There's that "Kun" I hate so much. The man that addressed me in that way is my dad, he's the reason I'm in here, in this bed. We had a fight that got a little out of hand and he ended up pushing me into a window causing it to smash. A large shard of the glass got lodged into my muscle just below the shoulder blade.

"Hello Dad…" I force out. I try to restrain a growl but a small one still escapes but neither my Dad nor the Doctor must have heard it.

Dad and I haven't gotten along since Middle-school. When we weren't yelling at each other because of his drunken deliriums, he talked to me like I was an old friend using the term "Kun" maybe he was trying to make up for the argument, but he only made it worse. He doesn't see me as a son, and I don't see him as a farther… not any more.

The Doctor cleared his throat to get our attention and we both give him it in unison.

"I wanted to talk about Tomoya's schooling" He said to my Dad, he didn't have a very happy tone in his voice but it wasn't a tone filled with despair either. "If he were to return to Hikarizaka Private High School, I don't think he would be very happy there."

He's right, I won't be happy at all. Even so, I don't like how he's talking like I'm not here.

"Plus I don't think it's wise to send him back to an environment where he won't be happy, it's not good for mental morale" the Doctor explained. Dad just looked at him with a neutral face that showed next to no emotion. It was the face he used when he wanted to make people think he was listening when I suspect he wasn't.

"So what do you suggest?" I say to the Doctor. I guess I want some attention now or maybe I just don't want the Doctor talking to that wretched man. He turns to me and gives an almost sincere smile.

"Well, I know of a school that should be perfect for you. It's a little far away but there are Dormitories there. It's basically a boarding school" The Doctor explained directly towards me. He's obviously not telling a vital piece of information.

"Ok, define 'Perfect for me'" I say in an unintentionally spiteful voice. The Doctor seemed to fumble with his clipboard. He then cleared his throat once again and looked directly at me. It's kind of making me uncomfortable.

"I'll be honest with you," he began. I'm not going to like this, am I? "It's a school that specialises in helping physically disabled students. Yamaku Academy."

(Yeah… I don't like it)

"So, I'll be living in a Dorm and go to school with a bunch of disabled kids?" I ask. The prospect of getting away from the man I call my Farther is inviting… but I'm not sure I want to spend the next few years in a place like that.

"Well, Yamaku Academy accepts students without a disability too. It's just a normal high school" he tries to persuade me. To be honest, there isn't really a downside to this. It might be a slight culture shock at first but once that wares off… it might actually be pretty cool.

I don't like the fact that I'm now considered disabled though. And being sent to this school kind of makes me feel like I'm being shunned from society until I can properly contribute, but I guess that's just me being cynical. I've developed that habit recently.

"You don't need to decide right now, you can think it over for as long as you're here. We'll sort out all the paperwork for your transfer. All you'd need to do is get there in one piece." The Doctor said with the almost sincere smile returning to his face. Then it turned serious again and he turned to my dad "but if your farther would rather you stay here…"

I know exactly what that man will say to this statement. Dad gives an awkward smile "Tomoya-kun is Tomoya-kun, he's old enough to make his own decisions" he said in his monotonous voice. Just as I had thought, he doesn't care if I stay or leave. That makes up my mind. Anywhere is better than my home with this man I call Dad.

"I don't need to think about it, Doctor, I'll accept and go to Yamaku" I say clearly. My dad's eyebrow twitches slightly but then he reverts back to his emotionless awkward smile. The Doctor looked surprised by my sudden declaration but then claps his hands together.

"Excellent, I'll make all the preparations right away! You can be discharged tomorrow. Yamaku is still in the middle of its Semester break so you can go there when you want" he exclaimed. Well, to be honest, I'd rather get there as soon as possible so I guess I'll get a train the day after tomorrow.

Well, I hope I've made the right choice about this. What was the old saying? Ah _When one door closes, another door will always open_. I guess this is my new door opening for me.

*Scene Break*

Here I am at the train station, alone. A part of me is glad my dad didn't come to see me off but I'm mostly upset that he didn't. I'm also a little angry at myself too. Am I just running away? Just trying to escape my problems without facing them head on? Looks like my cynicism is still lingering with me I guess.

I got here early and the train won't be coming for another half an hour. Why did I pick such an early train? It's 7:30 in the morning on a chilly spring Thursday. Plus it's right in the middle of semester break.

My shoulder is still bandaged up and my arm is still in its sling. The Doctor says I need to keep it like this for another week or so to give the wound and the bone time to heal. It's going to be a hassle when it comes to cleaning myself and when I have to dress myself. My Doctor says he's an old acquaintance of the head Nurse at Yamaku so if I had any trouble I should speak to him.

This time alone gets me thinking about my new disability. How will it affect me in the long run? Will I ever be able to hold a basketball again? Thoughts that don't sit well with me at all. I try to keep my mind of it by pacing up and down the platform for a bit. Then I take out a manga I brought with me but I can't get into it, I've read it about three hundred times anyway.

The thirty minutes drag on and on and I start to get irritated by my constant pacing. If someone was to watch me then I think they'd suspect me of being a criminal on the run or something.

(On the run?)

That thought comes back to my mind but it's immediately shoved to the back of my mind when I see the long, dirty, white train pull into the station. I guess this is it. My journey to Yamaku begins. Maybe, once I get there and settled in I'll calm down.

The doors to the train open and, with great effort and pain, I drag my luggage on-board and find an empty compartment to sit in. Unluckily I only find one with just one other person in it. I slide the door open and I'm almost blinded by the sight of bleached blond hair. It's a boy too, that makes it even more weird.

"Mind if I sit in here?" I ask him. He looks up from the manga he's reading and his eyes are immediately drawn to one thing in particular. It slightly pisses me off because his face looks like he's judging me. There's a long pause before he shrugs his shoulders and continues reading his manga.

(Thanks for the help, bleached idiot)

I heave in my heavy baggage with my one good arm and take a seat opposite the blonde boy. Taking another look at him… I think I've seen him around Hikarizaka High School. Oh yeah, I think this guy might be that delinquent Youhei Sunohara I heard about from some of the guys in the Basketball team. I think he was in the Soccer team but got kicked out for getting into a fight.

(I wonder why he's on this train?)

"This train will be calling at Tohoku Station and Yamaku Station. Thank you for using our service" The train's automated voice rang through the compartment.

Well, It doesn't look like he transferred to Yamaku like me, and I highly doubt he has family in Yamaku the town. I guess he's stopping at Tohoku. It's none of my business, I don't know him so I don't know why I'm thinking about him like that. I probably just want to be alone.

"Stop staring at me, don't you know it's rude?" he says to me and I realise that I have indeed been staring at him. I quickly apologise and look out the window. I feel the whole compartment jerk forward as the train starts to move out of the station. It's going to be a long journey. My eyes become heavy and I begin to feel sleepy. The only thing keeping me from falling asleep is the fact that I don't know if I can trust my travel companion opposite me.

Eventually my sleepiness gets the better of me and I fall into a light slumber.

*Scene Break*

"Dude, we're getting close to Tohoku… just thought I'd wake you up in case this is your stop too" the voice of the blonde boy says and I feel him shaking my left shoulder. I stir and slowly open my eyes. It annoys me he has interrupted my nice nap but at least he meant well

"No, I'm going to Yamaku Station. Thanks though" I slur out at him. I'm still half asleep and my visions blurry. My right shoulder aches like hell for some reason, then I realise I must have fallen asleep on it. "What time is it?" I ask

"Around 9:00, give or take a few minutes" He replies. I groan a little. That means I still have another two hours until I reach Yamaku Station. Two very boring hours of pure boredom… guess I'll try to go back to sleep…

*Scene break*

Ah who am I kidding… it's only been 10 minutes since the last scene… that idiot waking me up has thrown me off completely. This sucks, I'm annoyed, bored and unable to sleep. I guess it could be worse. I wish I brought something other than an old manga to pass the time with. I give a loud sigh and look out at the window at the passing scenery.

Those thoughts of running away from my problems creep their way back into my mind and I try to shake them off. Why can't I shake these thoughts? I'm not running away, I'm just transferring to a better suited school, that's all, end of story.

Time drags on as if it was prolonging my arrival. It felt like the time space continuum, for some unknown and inexplicable reason, had come to a grinding halt just to make my boredom last just that much longer. Torture… pure and cruel torture.

Finally the train's automated voice brought me out of the metaphorical darkness by declaring I'll be arriving at Yamaku Station in 10 minutes. I checked the clock hung up on the compartment wall, sure enough it was just about 10:50 in the morning. Good old Japanese public transport, it's very reliable.

The train pulled into Yamaku station and I was faced, yet again, with the challenge of moving my heavy baggage. At least I only have one big bag and regular rucksack for toiletries and my PJ's. The rucksack did pull on my right shoulder a bit but it was just about bearable. The big suitcase, however, was a slightly bigger challenge. It was heavy and to move it effectively, I needed two hands.

(Well that's out of the question…)

I sucked it up and dragged the suitcase out onto the platform and took in a big breath of air. Now the gruelling task of finding the school. It shouldn't be hard, apparently it's on top of a hill.

I pull out a map of Yamaku and look for where the school might be. Ah, it's right here. Damn, that's a long walk. I look down at my suitcase and frown.

(Guess this is my first test)

I Pick up the handle and start on my way towards the school. I feel better than I did earlier. This place is relaxing, I've only been her a few minutes and I can still tell. I think I'll be able to enjoy it here.


	2. Petal 2: The Feminist Conspiracy

By the time I reach Yamaku Academy's gates, I am a sweaty wreck. My right shoulder is aching from the constant strain of both my rucksack and suitcase and I'm completely exhausted.

I'm going to have to visit reception to let them know I have arrived. I'll probably be asked if I want a tour of the school too. Right now, though, I just need to rest my shoulder.

(I could have arranged some kind of help when I arrived here)

Taking a quick breather, I look around at the school gates. This isn't what I was expecting...

The black wrought iron of the gates is shaped into a pattern that could only be described as regal. The red brickwork of the walls looks stylish and upper-class too.

The hill leading up to Yamaku Academy reminds me a little bit of the gentle slope lined with Sakura trees back at Hikarizaka High School. The view from the top of the Yamaku hill is truly a beautiful one. I feel relaxed just by looking at it.

Although the road isn't lined with Sakura trees, I can still imagine myself being at home here.

The town at the bottom of the hill has everything I need too. A convenience store, some small cafe's and coffee shops, even a nice little public park. A very small part of me, and I emphasize the word _small_, is actually glad my dad was responsible for my being here.

I give a small sigh then take in a deep breath and take up the handle of my suitcase again. Time to get settled in to my new life.

*Scene break*

"Ah yes, Tomoya Okazaki. You're eager to get here" the receptionist says as she looks down at her computer monitor. It's not that I'm eager, I just prefer to get here as soon as possible.

"Is there any forms or paperwork I need to fill out?" I ask trying to sound as polite as possible but I can't help but sound a tiny bit annoyed. After all, I'm exhausted and in agony.

"No, thankfully all that kind of thing has been taken care of. All you need to do is get settled in" the girl behind the desk says happily. That's a relief, I never really was good at filling in forms or doing paperwork. An office job would not suit me at all. "I guess you'll just want to go to your room?"

(She catches on quick at least)

My general appearance must give away the fact that I'd rather not prolong a rest on a warm bed. She looks a bit awkward, can't say I blame her. She must greet people like this all the time. I give a forced smile

"I think that would be a good idea. Is there any chance I can get some help with my baggage?" I ask her. I wipe some sweat away from my forehead and give my right shoulder a little rub. The girl nods enthusiastically and smiles with a truly sincere smile.

"Of course you can, what kind of place did you think this is?" she rhetorically asks. Can't say I really share her enthusiasm at the current moment in time. "I'll call up a nurse to help you with your luggage. They'll be able to show you to your room as well"

I'll be able to start my unpacking straight away. I have the maximum of three days to get settled in without any school work. It'll give me time to scope out the local napping spots. Wow... since when did I start thinking about napping spots?

The nurse that was to help me out arrives a few minutes later. It was a middle-age man with auburn hair and a well endowed, full beard. He wore a white coat and had a stethoscope slung around his neck. He looked a little haggard and stress lines were dominant on his face. None the less, he gives a cheery smile and shook my good hand. It's amazing how much energy the staff have here.

"Welcome, young man, I take it you're the fellow who asked assistance?" he asks, his voice booming but gentle at the same time. I give a nod and he chuckles. "Not very talkative, are you?" the playful jab at me irritates me slightly. To be honest, all I can think of right now is the bed that's waiting for me. I force a smile of my own.

"Thank you for the help" I get out and give a bow. He laughs again and then welcomes me sincerely. He holds out his hand to gesture me to hand over my rucksack and he takes it without question. I kind of feel bad for the guy. He looks like he has enough work to do, the last thing he needs to do is help out some transfer student with his baggage.

He slings the rucksack over his shoulder and picks up the handle of my suitcase. I catch a glimpse of an irritated frown as he turns around and leads the way to my room.

(Yeah… he is stressed after all)

As we head out into the school's main courtyard I take a look at the school itself. The main building looks like it is western inspired with red brick walls just like the gates. It looks exactly like it does in the brochure I was given back at the hospital. Adjacent to the main building is another slightly newer looking building. It still looks western inspired but maybe a more modern era.

"That newer looking building is the nurse's and medical building. All of your medical needs can be fulfilled there. It has a range of rehabilitation facilities from a Physiotherapy room to a fully kitted gym. We even have an indoor pool" The nurse explains to me. I can't help but think about how well this place is funded.

The two dorms are apparently down a path through a small on-campus park. It's a little bit of a walk but taking in the scenery is always welcome in my books.

(Why am I so interested in scenery all of a sudden?)

We arrive at the door to the boys dorm and sure enough, it's a western styled building… I guess the owner of the school must be from Europe or America.

Inside is nice and clean, well, I guess it has to be. Who knows what the range of disabilities there are here. Best not think about it too much though, I don't want to depress myself.

We head up to the second floor and stop at a door which I presume is my room. The nurse turns to me and fishes something out of his pocket. It's a key.

"Well this is your room. There's only one other tenant on this floor and he lives in that room right there" he points at a door directly opposite mine. I read the name plate _Kenji Setou. Well that _seems like a normal enough name.

(I wonder what could be his disability…)

No Tomoya, don't think like that! You don't want to end up like one of those judgemental assholes like that blonde guy on the train. The nurse must have picked up on my train of thought and gave a light chuckle.

"He's legally blind, encase you were wondering. I think he might be in there now. Maybe you should go say hi once you've finished unpacking." Hmm… Maybe I will. I think it'd be a good idea to make a friend here, although I'm not really good at meeting new people that much. "Do you need help with your unpacking?" the nurse asks me out of the blue

"No, I'm fine here. Thank you very much for your help" I bow again and he returns the favour. He hands me the key and starts making his way back to whatever he was doing. He then suddenly stops in his tracks.

"One more thing, the head nurse wants to have a little chat with you sometime tomorrow. Just stop by the reception at any time and they'll lead you to his office." He says. It sounded like an afterthought. I'll have to keep that in mind… not that I want to though.

I unlock the door to my room and I'm actually pleasantly surprised at it's rather roomy interior. A desk sits facing the wall opposite the door with a chair tucked under it, there was a sink and worktops to the left along with a fairly large wardrobe standing just a little way from it. The bed lies to the right and a bed side table stands next to it… oh? What are these bottles doing here? I pick one of them up from atop the bedside table and read the label _Codeine. Take 1 tablet when pain exceeds bearable levels. _In other words… Take one when I hurt really bad… They didn't need to label it so formally. The other bottles are minor painkillers such as Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. They think of everything here don't they?

On my bed is two sets of folded up clothes, I guess this is my school uniform from now on. The first set is presumably the winter variant of the uniform, it consists of a green blazer with a white trim on the collar, a standard white shirt, a black tie and green trousers. It's different from the cream and blue colour scheme back at Hikarizaka… that's for sure.

The second set is practically the same as the winter variant, just without the blazer. Wait a minute… how did they know the correct size? Hmm… guess the hospital filled them in on my details… makes me wonder, how in-depth did they go?

Even my bed is ready made. Convenient. Guess I'll get started on unpacking. Too bad I don't feel tired anymore, I was looking forward to that nap… still don't know why I've suddenly developed an interest in napping.

*Scene Break*

Unpacking was a lot easier than I first thought it would. The wardrobe had more than enough space to fit all my clothes in it and still have room for more. After setting up my desk with the stationary I've brought with me I head out of my room and up to the opposite door.

Taking a deep breath, I knock three times. No response, maybe he's not in after all. I contemplate knocking again but then I hear a clattering of several chains and bolts from the other side of the door. I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this.

The door opens and out pops the head of Kenji Setou. His black scruffy hair looks like it hasn't been combed in days… possibly weeks. Inch thick rimless glasses sit on the bridge of his nose completely hiding his eyes because of the gleam on them. He's even wearing a red and gold striped scarf around his neck. The only thing missing is the… no, let's not go there Tomoya.

He frowns a little and brings his face very close to my own. He's almost touching me, the guy obviously doesn't have consideration for personal space… well he is legally blind which could mean his eyesight might not be fully impaired, I guess he needs to be close to see things.

"Who are you? Are you working with those feminists?" he says in a tone that would fit an interrogation officer… wait… did he just say feminists?

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?" I ask, probably a bad move. By the looks of it, this guy might be one of those conspiracy nuts.

"Don't avoid the question, are you working for them feminists or not?" he repeats the question in a more demanding tone. I might as well humour him, if it'll get him off my back

"No, I'm not working with any feminists…" I say and raise my left hand above my head very slowly. I think this guy is a conspiracy nut, this was a bad idea after all.

"Good, you'd be a lousy spy if you were… just blatantly knocking on the enemy's door like that. Those feminists are a crafty bunch though, maybe it's a new tactic they have going… maybe you are a spy for them and you just want to make me think you're one of the good guys. Well that's not going to work at all! I don't trust you one bit, feminist spy!"

(Yep… he's a conspiracy nut alright… hoo boy)

His face looks genuinely angry at me and it irritates me. I never liked this kind of person. Once you get them started then there's no way of telling when they'll stop unless you set them straight. I sigh heavily. "My name is Tomoya Okazaki, I just transferred into the room opposite you, I just came to say hi"

There's a few seconds of silence, maybe he's processing that tidbit of information. His face suddenly lightens up into a sort of smile that still looks a little angry, but it's a smile all the same "Oh, why didn't you say so in the first place. Are you slow in the head or something?" he says and he then takes his face away from mine. I scowl quietly.

"Well, you seemed adamant that I'm some sort of feminist sp… hmph!?" I'm interrupted by Kenji's hand being forced over my mouth. What the hell is he doing to me? Wait… is that Nitro Glycerine I smell on him!? He looks around with a paranoid look on his face. Can he even see anything around him clearly?

"Are you some kind of idiot? Don't go splurging that kind of thing out in the open. The feminists are everywhere. Spies are always watching us. They're crafty, I wouldn't be surprised if you're a sleeper cell or something… you're not a sleeper cell are you?" I force away his hand and cough slightly

"Even if I was… how the heck would I know? It'd be a pretty bad brainwash if I knew I've been brainwashed" I retort. I'm seriously regretting this now. Kenji's smile turns into a thoughtful line.

"Good point. You're smarter than you look, I like you friend. What was your name again?" He asks. I guess he's decided to trust me. Other than the pointless ranting, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. As long as I keep off the topic of Feminists then I might be able to endure hanging around him. I sigh again. He could make an effort to remember something he's just been told though.

"Tomoya Okazaki…" I repeat to him. He frowns slightly. Great, he doesn't like it. It is a pretty bland name after all. You'd be considered weird by yours truly if you got excited over that name. He puts both his index fingers on his temples and his eyebrows scrunch up. I guess he's imprinting my name on his memory.

"Ok, pretty boring name don't you think? The name's Setou… Kenji Setou" he says and gives a wry smile. Why did he introduce himself like that English spy from the movies does? "Pretty awesome name, huh?" wow… narcissism much?

"Yeah, awesome… anyway, it was nice meeting you. I better get going." I say to him. He nods in an understanding manner.

"Doing recon I see. You got style, man… be careful out there, never know when feminists will try to attack you. Just act like you don't know a thing, they should leave you alone… also, maybe where a hat…" That last suggestion puts me off

"A hat? Let me guess, to protect against brainwashing signals?" I ask… why did I just do that?

"No. You're an idiot. It's to cover up that garish blue hair of yours. I'm legally blind and I saw that hair of yours from my window!"

(Can I punch this nutter?)

I give a slight grunt and walk away from him. I dread another encounter with him, but he's my next door neighbour… it's inevitable that I'll see him again. For the time being… I guess I'll take a walk to try and find my way around the school. If I recall correctly, there where campus maps in the lobby of the main building.

A/N

Hey. Hope you're enjoying reading as much as I am writing. Let me know if I'm getting anything wrong or I anyone seems a tad OOC. Of course, this is set in the first year, so Tomoya is still a freshman (And so is Kenji and Hanako). If you have any suggestions or thoughts, let me know, I'll be happy to consider them.


	3. Petal 3: Stand tall for someone so small

Petal 3: You stand tall for someone so small

"Ok, the sports fields are down this way then…" I say to myself as I walk along a small, neatly kept path. I guess I'm interested in what the sports clubs are like here. I'm especially interested in the basketball club, I wonder what kind of people are part of it… maybe there's someone like me?

I reach a large gymnasium and I hear noises from inside and the rhythmic _thump, thump_ of a basketball being dribbled around. There are people calling to their team mates. I can hear the occasional "Mark him up!" and "Get the rebound!" This brings back pleasant memories. It's still semester break so this must be just a recreational match.

(Let's go take a look)

I open the door to the gymnasium and I'm greeted with a sight that almost brings a tear to my eye. It's not a usual basketball match. All the players are in wheelchairs, zipping around the court with great finesse and dexterity. Their tactics look a little foreign to me but that's because I'm used to playing in a normal match.

Their layups and rebounds are almost perfect and their… well… wheel-work is something to behold. I could watch this all day and not get bored. A girl that looks like she's in her second year roles up to me with a cheery and inviting smile on her face. Her hair is long and black tied up into a pony tail. She's also wearing the school sports uniform consisting of the usual polo-shirt and red sports bloomers. Other than the fact that one of her legs is missing, she's just a normal girl.

"You look like you know your basketball, you have the look ok an avid player" she says. I never thought of myself as an avid player but I do love the sport and I actually hoped to, one day, join the NBA… that's never going to happen now though.

"Yeah, I used to play in my old school" I reply to her. Her smile grows but then she sees the sling and makes a face as if to say _ah… let's not take that further_. She nods enthusiastically, her smile returning.

"I can always smell a good player from a mile away. What position did you play?" This girl is a fellow basketball fan, I guess I'll answer. I actually enjoy chats about basketball.

"I'm usually the Shooting Guard or a Power Forward" this makes her beam with delight.

"Ah, a fellow Shooting Guard! It's nice to meet another player of the same position" She seems friendly enough. I wonder what the story behind her leg is… best not ask though, she might take it the wrong way.

"Are you a regular?" I ask her in interest. For a fraction of a second I glimpse a sorrowful look in her eye but she returns to her bubbly smile before I can confirm it for sure. I guess there's a story behind that

"No, not anymore, I'm more of a coach and talent scout at the minute. The name's Kimura Kaori. Just call me Kaori. What's your name?" I hope she isn't scouting me. She sticks out her hand for me to shake and I take it in kind

"Okazaki Tomoya, I guess you could call me Tomoya." I reply. I'm not really comfortable being called my first name by someone I've only just met. I guess it's fine though. I'll probably rarely see her anyway.

"Do you want to stick around and watch? Onlookers are always welcome to our recreational matches" I'd like to stay and watch but I think it'd be best if I look around the school some more. I want to check out the other sports clubs too.

I shake my head trying to not look like I really want to stay "sorry, I'm new here and I'm taking a walk around the school to get my bearings before the next semester starts" she looks disheartened and her shoulders slump.

"Well… ok. I guess I can't stop you. Feel free to stop by at any time. Our club meetings are every Monday." She's persistent. I think she wants me to join, but how can I? With this shoulder, being a Shooting Guard is pointless if I can't shoot properly.

I give a bow "I'll think about it, I might just come down and watch every now and then" I say to her and that seems to have satisfied her. A player yells out to Kaori and she excuses herself from my presence. I guess I'll leave now. Looks like I might have made a binding contract with that little promise…

*Scene Break*

I need a break from all this walking around. So far I've checked out most of the sports clubs but only a handful of them were in session. I find a vending machine and get a soda. Hmm… is there any good places to sit for a break.

In the distance I spot a set of bleachers facing a running track. I guess that's a good of a place as any. With that decided I head over there for a nice rest.

As I get closer I notice someone is running around the track. It's a girl with light brown hair and made up into twin tails. The feature that catches my eye, though, is the fact both of her legs from below the knee are shaped a little like question marks. Running blades I take it.

I'm no expert in running but I can tell her form is good… in fact it almost looks professional. I climb up onto the bleachers and I'm caught off guard by the appearance of another girl. This time her hair is a dark auburn red cut short into an unkempt bob-cut with bushy bangs. She's wearing a boy's uniform too… oh. I realize that both sleeves are tied into knots just above the elbow. That must seriously suck. I thought I was unlucky. These two have it way worse than me.

The red head hasn't noticed my presence yet… in fact, she isn't even looking at the track either. She's looking directly upwards towards the sky. Is she spacing out? It's none of my business though. I take a seat on the bleachers and, with great effort and using only one hand, open the soda can with a loud hiss. This seems to have caught her attention as she is now looking at me… or maybe she's looking through me, I can't really tell.

"Good afternoon" I greet her. She doesn't say anything for a moment. Is she analysing me? Her unfocused eyes seem to be drawn to my right side. I frown a little, even if you're surrounded by people in similar situations… I guess you can't help but stare or at least glance at their obvious fault.

"Oh… It's now the afternoon… I missed lunch" she says with an aloof tone to her voice. She must have spaced out for quite a long time if she missed her lunch. Then again, I haven't had lunch either. I don't know if the school cafeteria is open during the semester break. I'm pretty sure it will be.

(Actually… I don't even know where the cafeteria is!)

"Well that's stupid. Lunch is pretty important" I lecture her. This is a peculiar site, a blue haired guy with a sling around his right arm giving a lecture to a red head with no arms at all. "What were you looking at anyway?" I ask curiously. This girl strikes me as a little bit… different. Like she's aloof and not with you, maybe that's just the way she works.

"A lot of things and also nothing in particular. We all look at things without really looking at them. It depends on whether you want to look at whatever you're looking at…" what is this girl talking about? That is a deep thought, is this girl a philosopher?

"So… you were spacing out then" I say to put it into laymen's terms. She shrugs to this and turns her head towards the right of me where I here slightly heavy breathing coming up behind me. It's the girl that was running around the track.

"Making new friends, Rin?" she asks the red head. The one called Rin nods once with her eyes closed. That looks almost sage-like… I guess she is a philosopher after all. The twin-tailed girl looks up and down at me. "I haven't seen you around before, are you new to the school?" she asks with a questioning manner. One thing is for certain; this school has a few unique characters in it. If this was one of those Sim-date RPG's I wouldn't be surprised if these two were love interest possibilities.

"Yeah, I just arrived earlier today. I'll be continuing my first year here" I reply to her. She smiles at this. She bounces up and down on her running blades and giggles.

"You're a freshmen, just like us!" she exclaims in a defiant tone. She then salutes me for some reason. "Emi Ibarazaki, pleasure to meet you!" she excitedly introduces herself. I'd best return the favour…

"Tomoya Okazaki, pleasure to meet you to" I hold out my left hand for her to shake and she does so with a firm grip. The girl referred to as Rin comes up to the side of Emi and nods at me.

"Rin Tezuka…" she plainly says in that aloof tone of hers. I nod back and return the favour. These two must be best friends, I'm not making that assumption based on the fact that one has no arms and the other has no legs. They just seem close to me. I wouldn't put it passed Emi to think about _combining_. I smirk at that thought. Thankfully it goes unnoticed by the both of them.

"Do you have an interest in running, by any chance?" Emi suddenly asks. Personally, I don't have a single ounce of interest for the sport but I guess if I told that to Emi straight out, she would most likely be very disheartened. I settle for a left shoulder shrug.

"Not especially, I don't have a passion for it but I guess it's fun to watch other people" I take a sip from my can and look at Rin for a second… oh she's spacing out again. Emi seems to be satisfied with my answer at least.

"It's not the most popular of sports, I'll admit that, but it's the feeling you get when you're out there on the track. You feel a sense of accomplishment" I've heard of that, I think it is called runner's high. I think it has something to do with the body creating its own narcotics and pumping them into the blood stream.

"Yeah, that's similar to what you get when you're playing basketball" that is true. I sometimes did get the feeling like I was invincible and could accomplish anything. I take another sip of my drink.

"Better than sex right?" I empty the contents of my mouth in a spray of carbonated stickiness towards my right side and I splutter and cough. That was a bold statement that almost killed me. Emi laughs and a small, wry smile creeps onto the face of Rin. Hang on… how does she know what sex is like?

(Scratch that… I don't want to know)

"What the hell was that!?" I yell at her but she only giggles at me further. Damn it… my Tsukkomi failed me…

"That Tsukkomi took way too long. You need to improve before you can stand against me!" she puts her hand to her mouth and gives a fake cackle. Come on Tomoya, you're better than this! This girl really stands tall for someone so small.

(Great, now I'm a poet in my spare time…)

"Anyway, I better get going if I want to find my way around the school before the semester starts" I regain my composure and bow to the both of them. Emi seems a little disheartened at my announcement but she bows back. Rin simply nods her head in that sage-like manner again.

"Ok, maybe I'll see you around somewhere?" Emi says that in more of a questioning tone and I nod my head.

"Maybe, we might even end up in the same class" I really hope I didn't just jinx myself. I'll just have to find out when I go to the reception tomorrow. Best get that over and done with as soon as possible, I'll go in the morning some time. I get down from the bleachers and start to head back towards where the main building is. It's only 2:15, maybe the cafeteria is still open. I really doubt it though.

*Scene Break*

Tonight I can't seem to get a decent sleep. I'm tossing and turning in my bed and it's really frustrating. I was so tired this morning but now I can't seem to get to sleep at all. My shoulder isn't helping either. Because my injury is on my back I have to constantly lie on my left side but it doesn't stop it from hurting. Maybe I can't sleep because I'm not used to sleeping in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room… but it's largely because of my shoulder.

I've had enough. I take a Paracetamol and let it work its way through my system. Good, it's working. I rest my head on my pillow once more and eventually I fall into some kind of sleep.

*Scene Break*

I'm standing in darkness. My shoulder is uninjured and in my hands I'm clutching a basketball. I'm also wearing my sportswear. I look around me, what the hell is going on?

"Okazaki! Get us that win! We got 5 seconds left on the clock!" I hear a voice shout out. Of course! I'm playing in a pretty important match and I'm the Shooting Guard. I start dribbling the ball forwards. The darkness around me begins to lift and I see faceless figures of the opponent team closing in on me.

(The basket is just in sight! I have to reach it or we've lost the match!)

I dodge around the faceless players and head straight for the basket. I'm almost there! 3 seconds left on the clock. I can make it, I just need to shoot! Then I feel something stab into my back… it's a shard of glass. I fall over and lose possession of the ball. The clock buzzes signalling the end of the match… we lost. A crowd that I can't see boo's me violently as I clutch my shoulder.

In the distance I see the one person I never want to see again, my dad. Anger flows through me and I get to my feet. Before I know it I'm not in the darkness any more… I'm in a cage and my dad and the doctor from the hospital are standing on the outside of it.

"He'll never amount to anything again" the doctor says. He gives me a solemn look. "He'll just be a useless walking piece of meat"

"That's not true!" I scream but the doctor ignores me, or maybe he can't hear me. "I'm not useless! I can still be my own person!" I bang on the bars of the cage but both my dad and the doctor aren't phased by it. What's happening?

"Useless…" the doctor repeats that word and it echoes around me. No… I can't let this get to me. I'm not useless. No one is useless. The girl from the track, Emi, she's a double amputee and she can still run like she's a pro!

I'm hurtled into darkness once more. Now I'm in my old room with my dad. He's looking at me with that infuriating neutral smile of his. He has his hands behind his back and is slowly edging his way towards me. No, stay away! I don't want to be here! Leave me alone, you're the one who disabled me!

Slowly, dad brings his right arm around and in his hand is… a knife!? What is he planning to do with a… NO DAD!

*Scene Break*

I shoot up into a sitting position. My heart is beating and I've come over in a cold sweat. That was one weird nightmare. I look at my watch that is lying on the bed side table. It's 8:00 in the morning. I groan loudly, it's too early to get up on a weekend but I highly doubt I'll be able to get to sleep again. Am I developing some kind of daddy issue?

(No! don't think like that Tomoya! Anyone would hate their dad if he did that to them)

Luckily, I found the cafeteria pretty easily yesterday. It's just past the main building lobby and down a corridor. Unluckily, it wasn't open when I went yesterday. Not surprising though. I think I'll go for some breakfast. First, though, is the monumental task of trying to clean myself… guess I'll have to make do with just a hair wash for today.

After I finish getting ready I head down to the cafeteria. It's open and ready to serve students who stayed during the break. I take a look around the big typical room and absorb the morning atmosphere. Everyone is unfamiliar to me but that's a given. I've never been to this school in my life. The range of faults here is pretty impressive. People with limbs missing, people hobbling around on canes, people using canes as a method of navigation and there are a few people with severe deformities. There are people here without obvious faults but I'm not the one for _guess the disability_.

I enter the queue and as I'm waiting I take a look at the menu. Wow, that's pretty extensive. It has to be though, I'm sure there are many students with specific dietary needs. I'll pick something that looks relatively normal but high in energy. I settle for Tonkatsu bread and a bowl of Miso soup. It's not exactly a complementary combination but it'll serve its purpose of filling me up.

After getting my meal and paying for it. I search for an empty table… great there isn't any. The emptiest one I find has only one occupant. A girl with short dark blue hair and glasses perched on her nose. She has her head buried in piles of papers. She must be doing some last minute homework or something.

(I hope she doesn't mind if I sit down)

"Excuse me… do you mind if I sit here?" I ask her. She doesn't respond at all. Is she ignoring me? "Do you mind if I sit down?" I repeat. Still no response… oh right. I think she might be deaf. Upon realising that I guess I'll try make my presence known through physical contact.

I tap her lightly on the shoulder and her head shoots up in surprise. Whoa! She almost hit me! She stares at me and I point towards the opposite side of the table and then down at my food and make a gesture like I'm eating. This would look pretty strange if you were an onlooker. The girl takes a second to register my attempt at communication. She then nods once and goes straight back to whatever she was doing. I'll take that as a _go for it_.

I sit down and begin munching on my Tonkatsu and every now and then I glance up at the girl. That looks like a lot of homework to be doing this late. Does she stockpile it and then do it in bulk? I try to look at one of the sheets of paper that lies on top of the pile. Oh, it's not homework… it's paper work? She must be class representative or on the student council… or maybe both.

There sure seems to be a lot of people still here over the break. Probably because of the care they receive here.

*Scene Break*

After visiting the receptionist I'm one again escorted to my destination. This time the nurse is a blonde female in her twenties. She's a little quick paced for my liking but she'll probably have other stuff to do. We enter the medical building and walk along some corridors before stopping at a door. The name plate reads _Head Nurse's Office_ the name of the Nurse is scratched and unreadable though. Someone doesn't want people to know this person's name.

"Here you are, knock first. He might have someone else already in there" The nurse that escorted me says and quickly strides away. I knock on the door and wait a few seconds.

"Come in" I hear a gentle but jovial voice call out. I open the door and I'm taken slightly aback by the purple-blue hair of the nurse. He looks fairly young and not a single bit of facial hair can be seen. "Ah, Tomoya, you're quite early aren't you? I was expecting that you would come during late afternoon!" He says in a cheery and jovial voice.

"I couldn't sleep last night. So I ended up being awake really early." I reply to him. A big grin races over his face and he puts his hands in his pockets.

"Don't worry about that, it usually happens when you're suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar environment" he gestures towards the examining bed. I sit on it and he approaches me. "Alright, let's get that shirt off" he says that with the mischievous grin. He gently takes off my sling and my right arm instantly flops to the side… should that have happened? I try to move my arm but for some reason it won't obey me.

Nurse seems to have caught on and his grin has well and truly disappeared from his face and is replaced by a serious look that puts me on edge. He quickly unbuttons my blazer and shirt and takes them off. I didn't use the tie because it's too much trouble putting it on with one hand. The bandages are the only thing that's left on my upper torso. I'm getting worried now. What's wrong? Why can't I even move my arm?

Steadily and slowly, he removes my bandages one by one to examine the wound that the glass shard made. It has mostly healed by now and the stitches are almost ready to be removed. He puts on some latex gloves and puts pressure on the skin around the wound. He then lifts up my arm slightly. "Try to hold it in position" I try to stiffen my arm so it won't drop again but when he let goes… it's no use, my arm flops again.

"What's happened? Why can't I move it?" I ask starting to panic. Nurse catches onto my accelerated breathing and he puts a hand on my left shoulder. He tries to put on a reassuring smile but he's failing… badly.

"It was a glass shard that got you… correct?" I nod. "How big approximately?" I think back to the incident. It was fairly large and was very jagged.

"I think it was maybe ten inches long. It was pretty jagged as well, it came from a smashed window" Nurse only knows what I told the doctor at hospital. I tripped over backwards in my room and put myself through the window. Not a very plausible story and I'm not even sure why I covered for dad… I guess I didn't want to go through the hassle of court. "It did go in with some force" I add and he nods

"I think some of the tendons and part of the muscle has been completely torn. That arm is more or less useless now… I'm dreadfully sorry to break that to you" oh god… my arm… is useless?

"You… mean I'll never be able to move it again!?" My voice is raised and my breathing drastically increases. It's worse than the doctor at the hospital first thought. He said I'll only be unable to raise my arm above shoulder level…

"Well, I wouldn't say you'll never move it again… but you'll never have full use over it." Why am I only finding out about this now? Shouldn't the x-rays from the hospital pick this kind of thing up? Maybe it did show up and they just didn't tell me… no, Nurse would have known about it and wouldn't be acting as serious as he is. This is incompetence…

"That's not very reassuring" I say plainly. I think I'm so shocked at the minute I can't even show emotion. "So how can I adapt to life with only useable arm?" got to think practically I can't let this get me down. There are students here that are far worse off than me. Think about Rin, she doesn't even have one useable arm and she seems to be fine… on the outside anyway.

"Well, just get used to doing things with only one arm I suppose. We can set up physiotherapy for you if you want" I shake my head. This is for me and me alone to overcome. I've always preferred to solve a problem on my own anyway.

"I'll prefer to do it on my own. But I think I might need help with writing though…" I'm not a lefty… not by a long shot and I don't see myself as ever learning to be one.

"Not a problem! I can set you up with a work laptop if you want. They don't access the internet but they have everything you need to complete schoolwork. Do you think that's ok?" He asks. I've not really used computers that much before. I know all the basics but I'm no computer-wiz.

"That's fine, it gets rid of that problem at least" it makes me wonder; how does Rin do her schoolwork? I guess she would have to use her feet or something… no that's ridiculous! I might as well ask though. "Nurse, there's a student here by the name of Rin Tezuka, do you know her?" Nurse nods. I think he can tell what my train of thought is.

"She uses her feet or her mouth. She's quite the artist too"

(I was right!?)

"She's an artist?" That confuses me as well. I don't want to sound rude but isn't it a little hard to be an artist with no arms?

"Yeah, and a bloody good one too! I'm no expert when it comes to art but I can tell that one will go far!" Nurse has returned to his jovial tone of voice. He must think that my storm has passed. I suppose it kind of has. I just have to grit and bare the thought of only having one useable arm.

A/N

Hello again. As always, let me know if I've gotten anything wrong or if anyone is a bit OOC. Kaori is just a one time appearence character but if you like her, I may keep her in the story as a regular appearence. Again, if you have any serious sugestions then let me know. Thank's for reading!


	4. Petal 4: A violet among books

"I'm Tomoya Okazaki, It's nice to meet you all and I hope we get along well" I bow to the class and a small ripple of applause flows through the room. Yesterday was uneventful and today, Monday, I start classes. My fellow classmates seem friendly enough and I'm sure they'll be welcoming.

There's only one familiar face that I can see. It's the dark blue haired girl with the glasses from the cafeteria. She's looking straight at me with an analytical expression. Is she trying to remember me or is she measuring up my personality? At first glance, she seems like a logical type but maybe there's more to her than meets the eye?

Nurse told me to keep the sling on to prevent my arm from being dead weight. It'll be annoying to have to wear it all the time but I guess it's better than having my arm dangle without any indication that it's dead. There are a few students here in similar situations… obvious markers for their faults.

"Take a seat next to Miss Hakamichi, if you please Mister Okazaki" the teacher brings me out of my thoughts and points to an empty seat next to the girl from the cafeteria. The seat is next to the window too. So her last name is Hakamichi… that's an interesting family name. I walk towards Hakamichi and bow to her quickly before taking my seat. I'm a little uncomfortable, I have to admit, I have no idea how to communicate with her. What do I do? Do I try to make gestures and make myself look like an idiot? I'm pretty sure she'd hate passing notes to me as a method of communication.

The lesson gets on the way with Japanese. I don't really have that much of a problem with this particular subject, it is my native language after all, I just can't seem to find the drive to immerse myself in these kinds of lessons. I end up looking out at the window with my slim work laptop open on the desk in front of me. I only half pay attention to the class so I don't catch most of the content. Before I know it I feel someone tap my shoulder. I turn my head to find Hakamichi standing right beside my desk with her arms folded. Her face tells me she's a little irritated but what did I do. She reaches over to her desk and picks up her text book and note book up. She jots something in her notebook and then shoves it before my eyes. _Group work time so stop spacing out!_

(Oh… guess I must have missed that part)

I quickly nod and she fetches her chair and plops herself down on it. She wants to work with me? I don't have a problem with that but doesn't she have other friends in the class to work with?" She passes me another note. _I'm_ _Shizune Hakamichi, nice to meet you_. This is the first time I've had to introduce myself through writing it down. I type up on the laptop [Tomoya Okazaki, it's nice to meet you too]

I guess she's caught on to my lack of writing skills and now switches to using my laptop to type up what she wants to say.

[I take it that arm was your writing arm?]

[Yeah, that's why I have this laptop]

[I assume that you got that disability recently?]

She asks a lot of questions for someone who's deaf and probably mute. I don't really want to talk about my fight with dad and she probably wouldn't want to read it either. And I think we need to get on with our work…

[Don't we have work to do, Hakamichi?]

She suddenly lets out a silent gasp. Has she only just remembered? But then she frowns for some unknown reason.

[Just call me Shizune, I don't mind.]

This is one weird experience. Having a conversation through a computer word processor is just flat out strange to me. Especially because the person I'm having a conversation with is just sitting two feet away from me. I look at the assignment we have been given. It seems fairly simple but I really don't want to do it. It's a writing task, we have to describe our partner as creatively as we can. Actually, this could be pretty fun.

Shizune has already begun her passage because she is writing with blazing speed on her notebook. Wow… she must know what she's going to write about me. I try peeking at what she's writing but I can't see, she's blocking her work from my view. Let's have a little fun.

*Scene Break*

I'm actually very proud of my work, I've depicted Shizune as a sound mage who has the ability to remove all sound from the area by vibrating the air to such a frequency that it is inaudible to human ears. It's not a very useful type of magic when it comes to battle but it's great for support and sneak attacks.

Shizune covers her mouth and a silent giggle escapes her lips. Well she likes it at least. I was worried she'd take it the wrong way and think I'm trying to insult her.

[You're very creative Tomoya] She types onto my laptop. Since when did I let her use my first name? I smile at her and she returns the favour. Something has been bugging me though

[Does writing everything you want to say bother you?] This gives her pause and she doesn't type anything for a few minutes.

[Yes, it's frustrating. But it's my only method of communication with other students. Being Class Representative requires me to talk with my students a lot. It's a lot to write up]

(So she is the Class Rep)

That's got to be rough. I'm surprised that the school doesn't have a translator for her, she must know sign language, this is a specialist school after all. Maybe I should ask.

[Haven't you been offer a translator?]

[No, I'm fluent in sign language but I don't want a member of staff following me around all day as a medium of communicating. That has to drive anyone insane] I guess she's write but isn't that what sign language translators are paid for? I don't want to argue it though. [You avoided my question earlier…] crap I was hoping she would have forgotten

[It's a little complicated, and it's something I'd rather not talk about] She seems disappointed at this. She's a nosey one. The bell rings and we are dismissed for morning break. Great, now's my chance to scout out a good napping spot…

(There's that interest in napping again…)

I save my work and pack up my things. I bow to Shizune and head out. If I recall, there should be a library somewhere on the third floor. I head up the wooden staircase and I'm met by a corridor of doors… great, which one is the library?

I open the furthest door and I really can't believe my luck, here it is! Some students are already here in the main seating area. Most of them are doing a little studying in between classes and others are casually conversing with their friends.

I walk up to the counter and ring the bell once. It's best if I just ask where everything is… in case I get lost. A young looking man with jet black hair and stubble walks up to me with a smile.

"Good morning sir, how can I help you?" he asks politely. I try to think of something.

"I'm new here, do you have a fiction section?" he nods and points to an opening between to bookshelves.

"Just through there, there are a few bean bags there too"

(I think I've found my hide out…)

I thank the man and hurry over there with haste. Right now, it's just a recon mission for future reference. As much as I want to take a nap, I really can't skip classes on my first day here.

I round the corner of the opening and… oh… a girl? She's sitting on one of the bean bags in the corner. She's alone and reading a pretty large book.

She has long dark purple hair with a fringe that covers most of the right side of her face. I take another look and… oh my… the hidden part of her face is severely scarred, it goes down the side of her neck too. In fact I can see scars on the top part of her right hand. I can safely assume that possibly her whole right side is severely scarred too. That's awful, I dread to think what she went through to get those scars.

Thankfully she hasn't noticed me so she doesn't know that I've accidently been staring. Should I approach her? She looks immersed in the book she's holding so I don't want to interrupt.

I'm here now, so I might as well act like I'm looking for a book. I step up to a book shelf. I almost miss the quiet gasp. She must have noticed me. I take a quick peek behind me and I give a little gasp of my own. She's gone a rigid and tense. Is she bothered by my presence? She's nervously shaking and her book is slipping through her fingers very slowly. Is she having some kind of fit?

I turn to her but I don't approach. "Are you ok?" I ask her and another whimper escapes her mouth. Her shaking is getting worse and the book falls to the floor with a thump. Maybe she's having a panic attack? I take a slow step forward but no more than a step. "Hey, are you alright? Do you need me to get a nurse?"

She cowers into the bean bag and attempts to make herself as small as possible but she's still shaking. What's wrong with her? Taking another look at her, she doesn't seem to be having a panic attack… does this have something to do with her scarring? I back off and step away. Let's stay cautious here Tomoya. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you" I feel like I'm trying to talk someone out of doing something regrettable. She's not relaxing at all. What should I do?

I don't know what it is… but this girl reminds me of a violet, she's beautiful to look at but very delicate and could crumble if someone so much as touched her. The scars only add to her uniqueness. It truly makes me sad to think of what horrors she must have gone through to make her so… rigid like this. Maybe I should take a more direct approach to this. I take step forward and she suddenly stands up. She covers the right side of her face with her hand and opens her mouth to say something but it doesn't come out.

"Um… do you want me to leave?" I ask carefully but she doesn't respond. She's not moving at all, save for the shaking, I take another step. She opens her mouth again and this time some stuttering words creep their way out.

"I-I-I G-GOTTAGODOSOMETHING!" she yells and bolts for the opening in the bookshelves leaving me alone.

(That was frightening, I hope she's ok)

Should I go after her? I best not, she had that episode just by me being here. I'd only make it worse if I went after her. So why am I running after her?

(Stop Tomoya, you'll make things worse)

I don't stop. My body is taking control and my mind has been overthrown. I exit the library and I'm almost sprinting down the corridor. I can only just see her long hair bounce as she runs.

(Stop, just leave her alone!)

My body refuses and I keep running. Why am I doing this? This is stupid, she's in no state to talk to anyone… so why? She's heading down the wooden stairs and I follow. We end up in the lobby and she's on her way outside. Break is nearly over and I should probably start to go back to class. I guess this gives me a reason now, not a very good one though.

(Go to class, you can't be late on your first day!)

My mind yells and yells but my body still refuses to comply. This is only going to end badly but I still run. "Wait, please, wait up!" I yell. It's pointless though. She's probably blocked everything out until she finds a safe place to hide. If only I knew her name, maybe if I called her name she'd respond… no that's too way cliché and she doesn't strike me as that kind of girl.

A stabbing pain comes across my back and it feels like my skin is being torn. What's happening? "AHGH!" My wound is opening up and I can feel the stiches carving their way out. The pain becomes too much and my legs buckle and I feel the world slow down as I fall to the ground. I knew this was a bad idea. My wound hasn't healed properly yet and the strain from the running has opened it again. I hear a girl's voice call my name. It seems familiar… I can't see who it is though. I'm lying face first on the footpath. I feel the blood escape from my wound.

(At least you won't make things worse with her)

*Scene Break*

"Well you aren't too bright, are you?" Nurse asks in that irritating jovial tone of his. It was stupid to chase after that girl but for some reason my body just went for it. Even now, as my stiches get redone, I'm still confused as to why I went after her when she obviously didn't want me too. Nurse hasn't asked me why I was running like that yet. "So why were you running like that?" Crap… might as well tell him, there's no use evading the question

"I was chasing a girl that had something like a panic attack. I was in the library and I found a girl with what looked like burn scars. She seemed to get really scared when she realised I was there…" I explain. I wince in pain one last time before Nurse finishes with the stitches. He takes off his latex gloves and dumps them in a medical disposal bin. He walks to the front of me and has a stern look on his face.

"Did this girl have long, dark purple hair?" he asks and I nod. He probably knows who she is and what's wrong with her. He nods too. "That was Miss Hanako Ikezawa, she suffers from severe Social Anxiety and becomes very scared and timid when in the presence of another person. It wasn't wise to chase after her Tomoya. She would have had a complete breakdown if you caught her"

That's pretty bad. I mentally kick myself for running after her. "Yeah, I had a hunch that it was a bad idea… my body just acted on its own without my mind's consent" Nurse looks pretty serious. I've quickly learnt to associate that with something pretty big. If I meet her again… I'd better play my cards right, I really don't want to trigger another episode like today. I hear a knock on the door and the voice from earlier speaks up

"Are you done in there?" Where have I heard that voice from?

"Yeah, come in" Nurse says with some of the cheerful tone returning. The door swings open and the first two things I see are the crutches. Oh it's Kaori, she must have found me on the ground and went to get help. I didn't lose consciousness but I didn't see her around when I was lifted up off the ground by a nurse. "Hello again Tomoya" she says as she hobbles into the room. Her hair has been let down and she's dressed in her school uniform. I guess she doesn't always use her wheel chair.

"He should be fine but I think it's best if he takes the rest of the day off. Kaori, be a deer and deliver this to class 1-2" He hands Kaori a scrap of paper that I assume is a note to excuse me from class. I feel terrible. She must have enough problems getting around. Now she has to play courier for my sake. I'm starting to feel a little useless…

"Ok, thanks for patching him up!" she says and then hobbles off and out of the room. Today turned out to be a real blow out.

*Scene Break*

It's that dream again. I'm standing in the darkness but this time I'm not holding a basketball. I'm not holding anything at all. I see a figure of a girl standing somewhere in the distances. She has her back to me but I can tell who it is by that dark purple hair. I lift my left arm up and grab at the void in front of me. Why is she here, in my dreams? I only met her today, why am I dreaming about her? I start to run towards her. I try to call her name but it won't come out. I reach her but as soon as I touch her she turns into a fading cloud of smoke.

I feel heat on my back so I turn around. My vision is met be a roaring fire that shows no sign of stopping. I try to shade my eyes from the glare of the bright orange and red flames. What's going on? Amongst the flames I can make out a lone figure… standing there… watching me. It's her! Hanako! I try with all my might to yell her name but I can't. My voice has failed me. I don't understand… what does this mean?

I'm rooted to the spot and the fire is coming closer. It burns, I can't take this!

(Wake up)

I desperately try to run away but I can't. Move Tomoya! The fire has almost engulfed me and the heat is too much to bear!

(Wake up!)

It's no use, the fire swallows me whole and I'm taken to oblivion. It burns… it hurts… oh god it hurts… I see the figure of Hanako again. She doesn't do anything… only watches me. It's only a matter of time until I am returned to the earth.

(WAKE UP!)

A/N

Hello once again. I shouldn't need to repeat myself, so yeah, let me know if I got anything wrong and yadda yadda yadda.

I've decided to keep Kaori on as a regular character, I'm developing her story as we speak. Thanks for reading!


	5. Petal 5: Cruel Fates and Cruel Gods

"I said wake up, Tomoya!"

I rocket upwards into a sitting position. I look around me frantically. Fire, where's the fire? Cold sweat beads up on my forehead. My memory slowly returns and I breathe out loudly. After I left Nurse's office, I came to the library for a small nap… I must have been pretty out of it because I can see an orange glow of the sunset come through the library windows.

I realise I'm not alone and I look up at the person who roused me from that weird nightmare. My vision is still blurry but I can make out the two metallic crutches and the well-endowed chest of a girl I recognize. It's Kaori. My vision soon returns and I'm greeted with a worried face.

"Are you ok? You're sweating Tomoya"

"I'm fine, just a bad dream… what time is it?" I wipe my forehead with the sleeve of my blazer. I have a slight crick in my neck, guess that's what I get for using a bean bag as a pillow. I give a low grunt as I pull myself off of the floor and turn to Kaori. She doesn't seem convinced.

"It's around five in the evening but are you sure you're ok? You look terrible" why does she care? We aren't exactly close friends. I nod my head.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It was just a really bad dream. Nothing serious" she still doesn't look convinced but she drops it. I'm telling the truth so I don't really know why she doesn't believe me. I wonder why she's here anyway.

"I didn't see you come to watch our club practice" ah… guess I forgot about that. I hang my head. A part of me wanted to go and watch the club session as well. I wonder if there's a way to make it up to her. I did kind of promise after all.

"Oh, I forgot. Can I make it up to you?" Her face lights up and she nods

"Well, if it isn't too much trouble, I could use some help at the convenience store in town. Would you mind?" This could be good, I haven't really figured out my way around the town so I should take this as a chance to get acquainted with the surroundings. I nod my agreement and we arrange to meet at the school gate in half an hour. I'll go get changed out of this dirty uniform, it still has some blood on it but I got the worst of it off when I was in Nurse's office.

*Scene Break*

Either I'm early and I'm waiting on her or I'm so late that she gave up and went on her own. I got dressed into a maroon hoodie, jeans and sneakers. It's not exactly a great fashion combination but what should I care? Anything I wear would be considered unfashionable because of this sling. I hear the distinct sound of crutches hitting the floor and I lift my head up to see Kaori make her way towards me.

She's wearing a turtle-neck and a knee length skirt. I still can't help but notice the lack of her left leg. It still makes me wonder how she lost it. Her hair is still let down and sways as she moves. I'd be lying if I said she wasn't attractive but she isn't my type, I can't see myself in a romantic involvement with her.

(Why am I thinking about romantic involvement?)

She gives a smile and I wave my left arm and return the smile. I wonder why she doesn't use her wheelchair to get around all the time and I wonder why she hasn't got a prosthetic limb like Emi. Maybe she just can't afford it… or it could be a personal choice.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I can't get around as fast as normal people" I check my watch, she's early as well.

"It's fine, I've only just arrived too. Shall we go?" I gesture towards the gates and we begin to walk. I feel at ease when I look out over the town below, but the constant strain from the sling reminds me of why I'm here… and of who put me here.

(There goes that little issue of mine again)

We haven't spoken in a while, is she wanting me to start up the conversation? What do I talk about? Well, there is basketball but I'm not sure how to go about it…

"So, when did you first get into basketball?" Kaori breaks the silence first with a bold question.

"I guess I developed a passion when I was in middle school. I got into a private school because of a recommendation too. Yourself?"

"I've always loved it, ever since I was a kid. I got bullied by the other girls because they thought only guys liked sports. It didn't bother me though, people can think what they like about me, it won't affect me in the least"

She's strong willed, I'll give her that. I've never been bullied so I can't relate to her but I can safely assume it was at least hard for her to handle.

"So, how'd you get the bump shoulder? A basketball accident?" Crap. I was hoping this wouldn't come up. She wouldn't believe me if I said it was a basketball related accident, she has most likely seen the wound. Guess I'll have to be honest…

"No, I got a shard of glass lodged into my back tearing most of the tendons and a large part of the muscle of my right shoulder…" Kaori seems a little taken aback

"How in the hell did that happen?" Nosey isn't she? I'll have to accept it sooner or later… it might as well be sooner.

"I got into a fight with my dad. We don't exactly get on very well. We started grappling with each other and he suddenly pushed me. I hit a window and it smashed… you can guess the rest. I don't even remember what the original argument was either… it was something stupid though."

This is the first time I've talked about it to someone else. Why am I being so open? I barely know Kaori and yet… I can talk about my fight so easily with her. Maybe it's because she has a kind of big sister feel to her. I feel that I can trust her… maybe a big sister is what I need?

She's gone silent. She's probably taking it in, I highly doubt she was expecting domestic abuse as a reason. I know I'd be pretty shocked if someone else was telling me this. Her face has a sorrowful look to it… please don't look like that. I hate seeing people like that.

"That's terrible… I'm so sorry Tomoya. I shouldn't have probed into your problems…" I give a one shouldered shrug as we enter the main part of the town.

"Everyone has a story, I'm sure there are far worse ones in Yamaku than mine…" that is most certainly true. That Hanako girl has probably been through hell and back… bad analogy… "so, what's yours?" I told her mine, least she can do is tell me hers.

She pauses for a moment and thinks for a second. As we come up to the convenience store she stops all together. Her face has that painful sorrowful look again. It must be bad. I think I may regret asking.

"I had Osteosarcoma. It was pretty bad and they had to amputate my left leg. I thought I'd never play basketball again. I almost lost the will to live. Then, when I started this school, I found the wheelchair basketball club and I regained my confidence... but things happen"

That's bad, so it was either get your leg amputated or die? That must have put so much pressure on her. No kid should have to decide something like that. If I can recall Osteosarcoma is basically a bone tumor that occurs commonly in teenagers.

(I actually remember something like that?)

That last part puts me on edge though. What does she mean by _things happen_? I don't think I should ask in case she takes offence... but Kaori doesn't seem like that kind of girl.

"I've only recently found out that the tumor spread... in other words, the amputation didn't work. It spread to my lungs and over time... it's become terminal. I only have a few years left. Four at the maximum."

(Oh... I wasn't expecting that...)

My mouth has gone dry. That's way too much to live with. This girl is very strong... stronger than me. I've become depressed over a mundane thing as a fight gone bad... she has to live with the fact that she'll definitely be killed by this cancer.

"I... didn't realise, that's... that's got to be traumatic..."

(Yeah... real subtle Tomoya...)

We enter the store in silence and we go about the shopping... not a single word was said. It's just to awkward. I feel terrible... I was getting so worked up over my own problems without considering other peoples. I'm way to self-centred for my own good.

I see people shoot us looks every so often and that almost infuriates me. A particular disgusted look from an old woman almost sets me off. Kaori must have seen the look on my face because she sighs slightly.

"It got to me at first too... but I got used to it. Some people don't like anything different, some get angry and some are frightened. Most just find it weird" she says to me. How can she be so calm? This girl... she's something else entirely. "Maybe it's just that ridiculous blue hair of yours!" Kaori throws a playful jab at me. I can't help but laugh a little. I do dye my hair but it's not actually that far from my natural hair colour.

(Tsukkomi Time!)

"What was that? That wasn't very nice!" I deliver my Urate Chop with almost perfect timing. I have gotten my mojo back! She chuckles and gives a _Gyao~!_

"Scary~!" She's a good comedy partner. She probably needs to take her mind off things. We exchange friendly banter as we make our way through the store and we finally end up at the checkouts. We pay and head out. It's dark. How long have we been in their?

"Let's head back now, it's getting late..." Kaori looks around nervously. She must not like being out at night. I can't say I blame her, dangerous people hang around at night. We'd better get back to Yamaku as soon as possible.

We make our way through the streets of the town and look as inconspicuous as possible. Kaori starts coughing and doubles over and coughs into a handkerchief. What's wrong? She looks like she's in pain.

"... I'm fine *cough* this always happens, *cough* it is my lungs... that have the tumor in..." ah... didn't think of that. I give her a gentle rub on the back and she seems to have recovered a little. She stands up straight and I notice the blood stain slowly forming on the handkerchief. She gives me a week smile but I can see she's in serious pain. Her eyes look like they've lost all life to them. She's like an empty shell... she needs a friend, someone who can be there for her when she needs them. Someone who can care for her when she's in pain.

"Hey, you two. I got a favour to ask!"

(Oh God... this can only mean...)

We both turn around and see a tall well built man in a sports shirt and low hanging cargo pants. A baseball cap sat on his shaved head and his broad nose was pierced several times. This guy is bad news and we don't need this right now! I scowl at him and shoot him an angry look

"What do you want?" I say in a stern manner. I really don't want this to end in violence. I can't hold off an attacker with this dead arm. That's probably why this guy picked us... we're easy targets.

"Just all the money you have, ya' can do that can't ya'?" I knew it, this guy only wants our money... but we don't have any spare. Kaori only brought enough to cover her shopping and I haven't brought anything at all. I leer at him and he chuckles. "You gonna disobey elders... punk?" he says and a mischievous grin crawls across his face.

"We don't have any money, leave us alone" My temper is beginning to boil. This guy doesn't care about anyone but himself. I hate that kind of person. His grin grows as he realises something

"You guys are from that there cripple school, aint' ya?"

(You asshole!)

"What of it? It's none of your business" I yell at him. Kaori begins coughing again. This is bad... I can't lift her up and run... I can't take her hand and run... I won't be able to fight him off... what should I do? There's nothing to do! Kaori doubles over again and violently coughs into her handkerchief. Damn it...

The man laughs and walks over to Kaori and grabs her wrist. He pulls her up and she yelps in pain as she continues to cough. "What's wrong with this one? A little cough? Aw... is that all it takes to get into a cripple school?" he throws her down and that's what makes me snap. I charge forward and ready my left fist for a punch. It connects with his chest but it bounces off without even hurting him. He gives an almighty below of laughter.

(I'm useless... there's nothing I can do... just leave us alone... please...)

I'm suddenly sent to the floor and my vision becomes too blurry to see. My jaw hurts... I must have been punched... one punch is enough to floor me? Pathetic Tomoya... absolutely pathetic...

"You trash aint worth the time! Go back to your little cripple school!" He kicks me in the stomach and then I hear him walk away laughing to himself.

(I'm useless)

I couldn't do anything... I'm no friend... I slowly get into a sitting position and rub the soar part of my jaw. I then slam my fist into the floor. Kaori has gone silent... she's probably close to breaking...

(It seems to me that God is intentionally screwing her... cruel bastard)

She seemed so happy when I first met her, full of energy and enthusiastic about life... now that I know what's up with her... I now know that bubbly exterior of hers is a facade. It's an unnerving thought... she's an empty shell. Being repeatedly stamped on by this disease that will kill her.

I get up and walk towards her. I help her up and there's that look again. The painful sorrow that I really hate. I pat her on the shoulder for reassurance but that's probably not going to do much good.

"He's gone now. Let's get going or we'll miss the curfew" I say to her and we walk away in silence. This day really has been a disaster... I hope tomorrow will be better... let's not jinx it though.

*Scene Break*

[And where were you yesterday?]

Shizune and I have been paired up again for group work. She's using my laptop as a method of communicating with me. She isn't too happy about me not attending yesterday. I make an apologetic face.

[I had a little accident that caused the wound on my back to open up again. I had to get it re-stitched]

Shizune isn't convinced though. Didn't Kaori deliver the message? Or is Shizune just being stubborn?

[Never mind, let's get our work done]

(Yeah, that's for the best... I don't even want to think about yesterday)

As we get on with our work I notice something odd out of the corner of my eye. The door slides slowly open and there stands Hanako. Making herself as small of a presence as possible. She slowly makes her way into the room and what strikes me as odd is the fact no one, not even the teacher, pays her any attention. In fact it seems that only I am even aware of her existence.

Is this a regular occurrence? It has to be for everyone to not notice a late comer. Is she delinquent? No that's impossible. It's just social anxiety like Nurse said. She must find it hard to came to class with so many people around.

She sits down and instantly begins the work that was set on her own. Is this how she spends group work time? Alone?

[That's Hanako Ikezawa, you'd best steer clear of that one] Shizune types on the laptop. Shizune is class rep... maybe she thinks she's a trouble maker. If she does... that's a little closed minded. At least today is normal. Maybe I can strike up a conversation with Hanako. She seems to have calmed down from yesterday morning. I have to be careful though, she could run away again and that'd be it... take it nice and slow and try not to frighten her.

A/N

Sorry for such a depressing chapter but Kaori's character is a very depressing one. The main love interest is NOT Kaori it will be Hanako. Let me know what you think. Any suggestions/complaints yadda yadda, you get the idea already. Thanks for reading!


	6. Petal 6: A Violet can bloom

It's lunch time at last. Hanako slipped out about ten minutes before the bell rang. She's probably gone to the library to relax. Maybe this is my chance to go talk to her. I rush out as fast as that wound on my back would let me and head up towards the library.

(Am I, maybe, taking this a bit too fast?)

I enter the library and up to the opening in between the two bookshelves. This time I stop. I knock on the wood of the bookshelf and I hear the quiet squeal come from the other side. I show my face and muster the friendliest face I can manage. She looks less frightened than she did yesterday but she still looks tense.

"Hey, mind if I just come in and look for a book?" I ask with a happy tone. She glances at me then averts her eyes back to her own book but I can tell she's not reading it.

"S-sure..." she timidly says with a stutter. Her face blushes slightly but that's most likely because of the tension she feels at the minute. Why is it that this face she's pulling now is so cute? I quickly walk towards to bookshelf on the other side of the small clearing.

(What should I say now? How do I get a conversation going with this girl?)

I aimlessly run my finger along the different books in the shelf and try to think of a way to start an interaction. Finally I settle on something.

"Sorry I startled you yesterday. I'm new here so I don't know much of the school yet. I just got lost and wandered in here" it's just a white lie but I can't exactly tell her I was only looking for a napping spot. She doesn't say anything for a while. "And sorry about chasing after you, my body just moved on its own"

"Y-you chased m-me?" She asks in that timid manner again. Didn't she realise she was being chased? She must have blocked everything out then. "W-why didn't you c-catch me?" Ah... that's a little embarrassing to say.

"I fell over because the wound I have on my back opened up again... it's a little embarrassing though" I turn around and she's repeatedly glancing at me then averting her eyes elsewhere. She's still too nervous for eye contact. She's hiding behind her book too... cute...

"I-I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't mean to c-cause trouble"

"You don't have to be sorry, you haven't done anything wrong" I plop myself on a beanbag facing Hanako and smile. "I'm Tomoya Okazaki, nice to meet you" I introduce myself. I don't go for a handshake because she strikes me as the kind of girl who doesn't like physical contact with strangers. She's silent for another few moments as she looks down into her book.

"H-Hanako Ikezawa, it's n-nice to meet y-you too" she says. I catch a glimpse at a small and sweet smile. I think I might find myself falling for this girl... she's just too cute for her own good!

"Hanako... do you mind if I call you Hanako?"

"N-no I d-don't mind"

"It's a beautiful name, I like it" I stick my thump up and give her a wink. I'm being a little out of character here but I have to be careful around people like this. People with social anxiety can break down at any given moment when they come into contact with strangers. A big blush comes over her cheeks.

"I-it's n-n-not that b-beautiful!" She flusters. She reacts well to being teased playfully like that? I was actually serious though... I think her name is beautiful. I might as well make small talk, I can't just introduce myself then leave.

"What kinds of books do you like?" I ask. She seems to put in deep thought to this question.

"I l-like fantasy a-and r-romance novels" she quietly replies. That's a pretty big range. "W-what about y-you?"

"Shounen Manga... I'm not a big novel reader" she's a little disheartened at that. She must love reading. I'm not that big of a fan of Manga, I just read it to pass the time. She shuffles in her beanbag and looks a little uncomfortable. "Do you want me to leave?"

"N-no, it's f-fine. It d-doesn't have a-anything to d-do with you"

(Must be the scars... they'd be pretty uncomfortable to live with I'm sure)

I nod in an understanding manner. Should I tell her about my dream? She probably won't react well if I did. It's hard to talk to someone like this but for some odd reason… I feel at peace, I feel like she has accepted me and trust me to at least not be inconsiderate and inappropriate around her.

Through all the people I've met over the last few days, only Hanako truly stands out at me. Beautiful but fragile… just like a violet. She's innocent and from what I can tell, she's very sweet, also just like a violet. Just thinking like that makes me feel hot inside…

(I am taking this a bit too fast. I should slow down)

We spend the rest of lunch exchanging small banter but it was me who was doing most of the talking. She's a listener and that's probably by nature and not her anxiety. She's still nervous but at least she's talking and not running away. I take comfort in that fact.

*Scene Break*

[Remind me, why am I having dinner with you?] I type onto the laptop for Shizune to read. We're sat in the school cafeteria munching on our meals. I've had to have my steak cut up for me and most of my steamed vegetables as well. Shizune shoves her glasses up her nose and pouts slightly.

[Have you thought about joining a club?]

[The only club I'm interested in is basketball… can't do that though]

[There's a whole range of different clubs. It's good to get into one]

I wonder why she cares. I know she's class rep but there isn't a school rule that states club activities are compulsory. It's an optional thing. What is there for me to do? I sigh… useless…

[You seem depressed, what's wrong?]

[Something from yesterday night, I'd rather not talk about it]

[Oh… that's too bad. It's fine. Back on topic though, are you sure there's no club you want to try?]

A thought pops into my mind

[What about sign language classes? I'm pretty sure using my laptop to talk to me or writing on paper to talk to anyone else has got to be annoying]

She shakes her head at this. Odd, I'd thought she would have jumped on that spark of interest…

[I wouldn't bother. Sign language classes are never very popular so I don't think they're holding them this year]

Oh, well that sucks. I thought it'd be pretty high in demand… being a specialist school after all. I sigh again. Shizune shoots me an analytical look.

[I can read you like a book Tomoya. What's really going on?]

I may as well tell her. She's not going to let it go if I don't, I've pegged her as the persistent type and she's certainly upheld with that assumption.

[I helped a friend with her shopping last night and on the way back we ran into a delinquent asshole who tried to mug us]

This shocks Shizune and she remains inactive for a while. She's mulling something over, I can tell because her eyes are zipping from side to side like she's reading text.

[And you're feeling depressed because you weren't able to do anything to help?]

Wow, she thinks fast

[Yeah… I guess. I'm useless with my dead arm. I'm useless for protecting my friends from stuff like that… it's really frustrating too…]

[Your arm maybe dead but you still have your legs, why not join the kick boxing club? You can learn how to defend yourself and your friends. I think their club meetings are every Thursday. I can take you down to their meeting place if you'd like?]

That's not actually a bad idea… but I'm not sure. Learning a martial arts form from scratch is pretty gruelling. Maybe I should take a taster session just to see what it's about.

(Perhaps I will…)

[I'll think about it. It seems like a good idea but I don't really want to jump into anything to fast]

I think that's a little contradictory though… oh well, maybe I can be of use if I learn how to kick box. I don't know why I didn't think of it before… a lot has happened in the past few days… that's for sure.

She seems satisfied and resumes her eating. I like the feeling of this school. It's so laid back and refreshing. It also seems lenient towards attendance as well. I give a grin to that, it seems like it won't matter if I miss one or two classes every now and then…

(I think I may be turning into a delinquent…)

*Scene Break*

_As I fall into the darkness, I look behind me. The figure of the one I love, Icarus Fried, grabs at nothing. She tried to kill me, now she wants to save me. A love twisted by warped minds of the powerful. I knew the pressure was sending Icarus into the depths of insanity but I couldn't do anything to save her. This is my punishment, oblivion. _

_The darkness consumes me. Soon I'll no longer be amongst the living. I hear her scream my name. Over and over again, she screams it, Zephyr…_

"Gah! Why is this so hard?!" I yell and smack my left hand on to the back of my head. We're supposed to write a small draft of an original story for Japanese Literature. I'm having some trouble though. It's taken me two hours just to come up with the first paragraph.

I have no drive for this kind of thing. Writing an original story for me is like Bill Cosby starring in a horror movie; it just doesn't fit. Yeah, what I've come up with is ok but it's no Moby Dick or Brothers Grimm.

I save my work and shut the lid of the laptop. I guess I'll try again tomorrow at some point. I look at my watch, it's 10:34pm. I groan, it's getting late so I think I'll call it a night.

I get changed into my PJ's and then brush my teeth in my room's sink. I look at myself in the small round mirror. I've got a bruise? That damn mugger hit me pretty hard, I'd be surprised if it didn't leave a mark of some description. I take a Codeine tablet and get under the covers of the bed after switching off the lights.

It takes me a while but I soon drift off into a deep slumber.

*Scene Break*

Maybe I should ask for some sleeping pills because this is just getting ridiculous. I've had this kind of dream none stop since I got here, it's really starting to freak me out. It's always so vivid and abstract, it's different scenarios each time but they weigh heavily on me.

It's 4:00am now and my most recent nightmare has kept me awake since 3:30am. I think I'm developing insomnia, just another problem to the list I guess. I sit up on my bed and rub my eye to get rid of some gunk. These nightmares are getting me up way to early…

"Damn it…" I say to myself. There's no way I'll get back to sleep… I'll give that writing assignment another shot. Maybe writing something will make me feel tired again… that or wake me up completely and I'll lose track of time.

The assignment is meant to be handed in on Friday and it is Wednesday now. I have plenty of time but I'll try to get it over and done with as soon as possible. I get off my bed and switch on my desk lamp. I open up the laptop and get to work.

_Over and over again, she screams it, Zephyr. Zephyr, the name my mother gave me. The lonely maid to my farther, the man that caused all this turmoil. The woman I love, Icarus Fried, has been arranged to marry my farther. _

_It grows hard to breathe and my vision blurs. I see the crimson liquid pool around my body. Death awaits me. Then a bright light shines and I'm no longer in that accursed darkness. Wings, that of an angel, spread themselves out before me. What is this? Is this my escort? No, this is different from the tales of old… these wings are changing; they're growing black as the night sky. _

_"Become a Shinigami, Zephyr, reap the souls of the wicked and smite the evil that plagues Bazeil" A voice that comes across as a hiss filled with whispers of the damned. This black winged figure is one of the fabled lords of death… the Shinigami…_

It's coming up for 7:00am. I guess I should get ready for school… I've spent three hours on this draft and I'm nowhere near completing it. I think I'll ask Hanako if she can help, she reads a lot, she might be a good writer too. It gives me an opportunity to talk to her as well. Perhaps I can even get a look at what she has written.

*Scene Break*

"Y-you want m-my help?" I've managed to catch Hanako just before the class starts to leave for the day. She has stayed in lesson through the entire day so she must be in a good mood.

I nod and bring out my laptop. She said she likes fantasy and romance so I can only hope she likes my measly attempt at it. I open up the word document "I was just wondering if you could tell me what you think, I'm no author so it's not exactly a work of art" she thinks the situation through a while then agrees.

She takes a few minutes to read my work in progress and her face grows more and more emotional as her eyes move further and further down the page.

(Is it that bad?)

"T-this is very g-good, Tomoya. Y-you're very c-creative"

(She… likes it?)

"You like it?" she nods and shows that sweet smile that could knock any man out. I feel relieved, at least it's not a complete blow out. "How do you suggest I continue it?" Every time she shows me that smile, I feel like I've won first place in a contest. We spend a little while inside the classroom and she manages to get a full page of writing out of my literature deaf mind. What we have managed to write is probably one of the most enjoyable pieces of school work I've ever done. It's all thanks to Hanako too!

She even showed me some of her assignment. It's about a detective and a dark secret that Hanako refuses to let me know. It's a pretty thrilling read too, it's a shame we weren't set the task of writing a full short story. We may have had a lot more fun.

A/N

If my chapters are a little short for liking I'll try to lengthen them. Tomoya seemed a little OOC in this chapter and I apologise for that. I'm also planning something called "Shrinking Violet Shorts" which is a collection of short stories in the Shrinking Violet world, they're probably going to focus on comedy and maybe a little action depending on the story's subject matter. Keep your eyes out. Thanks for reading!


	7. Petal 7: Aura of Intimidation

Thursday, September 4th, 3:45pm. Shizune practically dragged me to the dojo after classes ended for the day. I'm a little agitated with her because I kind of wanted to talk to Hanako or Kaori for a while. I don't even recall agreeing for definite.

She swiftly writes something on her notebook and hands it to me

[Just go in for a little taster session, I have some stuff to take care of. See you soon!]

I sigh and give a small nod. Let's just get this over with. I'm not exactly excited about this but if I can learn to protect myself and others, I may be of some use to Kaori and Hanako.

I step through the sliding doors of the dojo and I'm suddenly frozen to the spot. Boys and girls ranging from first to third years are all practicing kicking and punching and grapples. Some are practicing on punching bags and others are doing some sparring in small arenas. None of them really pay me any attention but that's a little expected.

I must look a little dumb at the minute. All I'm doing is staring at all the different students.

"Hey, you look lost kid, or are you interested in joining?" A slightly gruff and menacing voice rattles out behind me. It sends a shiver up my spine as I see a shadow looms over me. I don't want to turn around… ever… I can even feel the intimidating aura rising from behind me. I have to turn around and address him.

(This was a mistake…)

I sort of jolt and twist as I turn to face the person who addressed me and what I see is the physical embodiment of the word _intimidating. _His face is toned and sharp like it was carved out of a rock. The mane of black hair reminds me of a character from a manga I've read. Although his left eye was slightly discoloured and unfocused he leers at me with his right, his left eye also has a scar. His massive tree trunk arms are folded and his legs are shoulder width apart, it's a generic pose for someone to use if they want to look scary. I'm not easily scared but this guy… frightens me.

I gulp loudly and try to speak but words just won't come. Suddenly he throws his head back and he lets out a bellowing laugh. Did I do something to amuse him?

"BWAHAHAHA! The look on your face, kid… priceless!" He bellows and a massive hand lands on my left shoulder. He must have considered the sling at least. My nerves return and I calm down. "What's your name, kid?"

"Uh, Tomoya Okazaki, it's nice to meet you!" I bow quickly and I receive another bellow of laughter. This guy likes to laugh at people. I don't like it… and I probably won't like him…

"Oh don't be so formal kid. The name's Takeo Sahashi, I'm the captain and founder of this Kickboxing club. So what's a kid like you doing here?" He resumes the pose of folded arms but instead of a leering face it almost looks kind and welcoming.

"Shizune, my class representative, forced me here. I just came for a small taster session"

As soon as I mention Shizune's name, Takeo suddenly freezes up and then darts his head around the room. It's like he's being possessed or something…

"Wait… what, where… is she here?" he says becoming more and more anxious… wait… is this guy scared of her?

(Heh… maybe I can have a little fun with this…)

I grin slightly… time to shine

"I think she said something about a conspiracy… I think I recall her mentioning your name though…"

Takeo suddenly freezes and looks at me. His left eye is still off putting to me, I wonder what's wrong with it. His face tells me he's extremely scared…

(What the hell did she do to make him this afraid of her?)

"Please tell me you're joking… that She-Devil will never take me alive!"

I can't hold in the laughter… this is just too much for any man to cope with! This guy is at least six foot seven and he's scared of my class representative? No matter how you look at it… that's just absolutely absurd!

I suddenly burst out laughing. Takeo looks at me with a blank expression and I instantly notice that everyone in the room has gone silent. I stop laughing and become very self-aware. "Sorry, I had to get payback" I say but I'm still resisting laughing outbursts.

A moment of silence... maybe that was an extremely bad idea. I definitely don't need a pissed off, overly masculine power house chasing me around a campus that I'm not even familiar with... that would be bad

(Also not good for life expectancy...)

"BWAHAHAHA! You have a real set of big brass ones, don't you! I like that, means you can take crap and return it in kind! So, you said something about a taster session?" He catches me off guard by the sudden explosion of laughter. He then pauses to look at me, mostly with his right eye. His face becomes analytical and then he closes his eyes, revealing the scar on his left eye in its full glory... I wonder if his disability has anything to do with that scar...

"Is something the matter, Sahashi?"

He shakes his head but still looks somewhat serious.

"What's with the sling? Kickboxing involves punching and grapping y'know" I knew this would come up, I guess it'd be best if I'm just straight up and honest with him...

"It's dead weight because a shard of glass destroyed my muscles and tendons... I'm not here to learn to fight with punches, I want to learn how to fight with kicks"

Takeo thinks for a second and puts fingers on his chin. He then grins again

"I once sparred with someone who only fights with her feet. The legendary Delinquent-Basher of Hikarizaka!"

(He's from Hikarizaka? I wonder why I haven't seen him before)

I think I might have heard about something like that before. A rumour about a middle-school girl going around some of the worst areas of Hikarizaka and beating the snot out of the thugs and Delinquents there. Scary stuff if you ask me... and this guy has sparred with her...

(I definitely don't want to get this guy mad...)

"Alright, enough chit-chat, let's see what you're made of... Yamada! We need that bag for a sec, go spar with Takashi for a while!" He orders a boy who was practicing on a kicking bag. He looks a little annoyed at being interrupted from practice but obeys anyway. "Leave your bag and shoes here please" he tells me and I immediately obey.

"All I want you to do is kick this bag as hard as you can..."

(What's he up to?)

I sigh, let's just get this over and done with. I bring my right foot behind me, focus all my strength into it and launch it forward into the padded kicking bag. The chain that holds it to the railing on the roof rattles and the bag makes a satisfying thwack. I think I did pretty good but my foot hurts like hell after that. Takeo nods his head in a sensei like manner

"Not bad for a first timer, but your form needs vast improvement. Here let me show you how it's done!" Takeo steps up to the bag. I see everyone near us clear the area immediately… what am I about to witness?

Takeo puts his feet shoulder width apart and brings his clenched fists up to his face in a fashion that resembles a boxer guarding his face. He then suddenly unleashes an almighty kick with the finesse of a professional martial artist. What happens next is something that can only be described as jaw-dropping. The metal chain snaps clean off and the bag is launched all the way across to the other side of the room. It hits the wall with a resounding boom and then flops to the floor…

(Did that really just happen?)

This… beast has the strength to kick a kicking bag so hard it actually snaps the chain and has enough power left in it to hurl it across the room… I don't think I'd survive the consequences of pissing this guy off… in fact I probably wouldn't survive standing near this guy when he's pissed off…

(Note to self, keep Shizune at arm's reach when Takeo is pissed off…)

The ability to speak seems to have left me completely as I look at the bag, now rolling from side to side, on the opposite side of the room. Takeo lets out yet another thunderous laugh.

"Years of practice, kid, I could only manage a few inches at first!"

(Over confident much?)

"That was… different…" I manage to get out. Takeo suddenly turns serious.

"Ok, getting serious. Let me teach you some basics. First, the Centre Position. The Centre Position was the stance that I took just then. In your case though, you'll have to make do with only one hand in guard position. Do you remember it?"

I nod and try to mimic the stance he demonstrated. Takeo looks me over and steps up to me. He straightens up my back and gently moves my left arm into the correct position. It seems to be a little more complex than it looks. He steps back and gives me another once-over. He seems satisfied as he nods in that sensei manner again.

"Good, let's try a simple Forward Kick. I'll show you it in a slow pace then I'll speed it up" Takeo takes the same stance and rises his knee up so his thigh is parallel to the floor and foot pointing downwards. He then throws the rest of the leg upwards in a sort of Spartan kick style. He then returns to Centre Position. He then repeats it at a much faster rate. He gestures me to copy and I try my best but I lose my balance.

"BWAHAHA! Unlucky, many newbies make that mistake, it's fine if you don't give up after one fault!"

I get up from the floor and chuckle to myself "I rarely give up, just ask my team mates back at Hikarizaka!"

*Scene Break*

It's after the club session. My legs are killing me, it's like someone set them on fire, put them out then stamped on them with concrete boots. I'm sitting on the ground lent next to the wall of the Dojo whilst Takeo tidy's up the room. The rest of the club members have already dispersed and gone to dinner. I wish I could join them, but the simple task of walking seems impossible at the minute.

"The first few sessions always takes it out of the best of people, it's a common thing." Takeo says. I've heard that first times are always painful for stuff like this… but I never knew it was this bad.

"Thanks… I'll be fine in a few minutes"

"I heard you say Hikarizaka, you live there?"

"Yeah, born and raised… well… if you can call it raised"

Takeo must have ignored that last part because he moves the conversation on with the flow. I'm glad he didn't dwell on it

"That's the same for me too. Not exactly the best place to grow up in, especially the area I grew up in. Plenty of good for nothing thugs hanging around" Takeo stops after unhooking the last kicking bag and then sits on it. "I was born blind in my left eye, so you can guess I was targeted a lot as a little kid. Thankfully I have good genes" he thumps his chest at that

"I got to ask… what's with the scar?" he grins

"I fought a wild boar…"

(Liar)

"Interesting…" I contradict my own thoughts, it was probably something mundane and boring like a cat scratched him… or Shizune scared him so much he was physically scarred.

(I still find that absurd)

"Yeah, I won't ask how you got that glass wound, sounds a little complicated for a first meeting conversation" that's most definitely true, but it was like that with Kaori… guess Takeo is more tactful when it comes to painful histories.

I feel strength return to my legs but it's not quite enough to get up. Talking a little longer should do the trick. "So what was sparring with the legendary Delinquent-Basher like?"

"Heated, and that's the understatement of the century. Her mastery of the 64-hit combo almost did me in if it wasn't for my absolute defence mechanism…"

(What does he do? Turn to iron?)

"Which is…"

"Skirt flipping!"

(And that's when I found out Takeo was a pervert…)

"What's with the underwhelmed look? Girls are really sensitive about their panties… it's a wonder why they wear skirts all the time… once I flipped her skirt she got really mad and that caused her to become clumsy and easy to counter. I learned it from a manga!"

"That explains it…"

"It's thanks to my quick thinking that I'm still here in this reality. That 64-hit combo is nothing to be toyed with, it can be fatal!"

"What is it? I've never really heard of something like that before"

"It's basically a chain of 64 consecutive kicks at a machine gun quick pace. You can make anyone fly with it. I've only ever known two people to have completely mastered it. The Delinquent-Basher and my old Kickboxing sensei" his face looks nostalgic as he tells me this.

"So how did you get into a sparring match with her in the first place?"

"Well, I used to be a Delinquent-Basher too so… I guess she took an interest and wanted to test her skill on someone else at a somewhat similar level. She's a demon… but she's still a girl. She has her weakness and so do I"

I grin

"You mean Shizune"

"Never say that again"

"That took 0.5 seconds flat!"

We share a laugh. That's when I spot the distinct dark blue-black hair of the very girl I'm talking about appearing right behind Takeo. I grin manically

"Speak of the devil…"

Takeo slowly turns his head and I can actually see the beads of sweat pouring down his face. He launches himself upwards and almost shrieks her name. Shizune merely stands there with her hands behind her back and an innocent wondering look on her face. This is almost shameful to watch. After that badass show he gave me in the club session.

Shizune suddenly starts making what I assume are sign language signals… I can't understand one bit of it… Takeo, on the other hand, looks very discomforted

"I think she's trying to say she was wondering where you were…" he says

(Hold on a second!)

"You understand sign language?"

"Only the basics, I'm not fluent at all" he's surprisingly talented. I wonder where he took lessons. Shizune signs faster and Takeo gets more and more anxious. He slowly signs something back and Shizune drops her shoulders. Out comes her notepad and she quickly writes something onto it. She hands the pad to me

[You didn't come to dinner so I haven't eaten either. How about we go to the Student Council room and order takeout?]

That's a strange request, I wonder why she hasn't eaten, was she waiting for me? I turn to Takeo

"Want to get some take out with us?" I ask

"Oh… well… um… no thanks… I'm not really hungry"

*Grumble*

"It sounds like your stomach disagrees with your mouth! Come on, we have to eat"

Takeo sighs and then agrees reluctantly. I then quickly write my reply

[Sounds great, if you don't mind the scaredy-cat over there joining us]

Shizune seems to silently giggle behind her hand at my reply. She then nods her reply. I try to get up and manage to keep my balance just enough to begin a slow walk to my shoes and bag. Takeo still seems very anxious and almost submissive.

*Scene Break*

After finishing our meals in a somewhat awkward silence, Takeo I and part ways with Shizune as we head into the boys dorm. Takeo stops me as I'm about to climb the stairs to the second floor and has the makings of a serious face.

"Listen, kid, you're actually a pretty good beginner. Better than most of the whelps that join the club. You pick up techniques quite quickly and you can carry them out almost perfectly after a few tries. I just want to say you should join permanently, you could become a great fighter if you keep at it."

I can almost see the passion in his eyes as he tells me this. What is he getting at?

"Thanks, I'm glad I didn't seem like a complete waste of time, but maybe Kickboxing isn't my kind of thing..."

"Don't talk stupid, after my first real session of it I felt like hell too. It happens to everyone! All you have to do is keep chipping away at it and soon you'll get used to it as your legs and fists toughen up... well, in your case, your legs. You boasted that you never give up, didn't you?"

I guess all he wants is for me to stay...

"I'll... think about it... if I don't feel like it's right for me I won't show up next week..."

Takeo sighs but he still nods. I guess he's satisfied with my answer. He says his goodbyes and heads off to his room. I don't really know why I'm doubting it... I guess it'll probably be something to do with learning an entirely new sport from scratch...

I sigh and head up to the second floor. I've learnt that my hall mate, Kenji, doesn't really sleep so if I make to much noise... I'll be caught by him and no doubt be exposed to another rant about Feminist Conspiracies. It's not like I hate him, he's just a little... hard to handle to say the least.

(I may have gone and condemned myself...)

As I was just about to unlock my door I feel the presence I don't want to feel... it's him...

"Hey, man, can I borrow some money?"

(Money? Why does he want money?)

I turn around and face him. He's fingering his scarf at quite an alarming rate. He's nervous... or at least impatient. "Why should I part with my cash for you?" I ask and lift me left hand above my head with my palm facing the ceiling.

"It's for a project I'm working on..." he trails off and then his face turns somewhat angry "I don't need to explain myself to you, I still don't trust you!" Ugh... this again...

"Well, if you want me to lend you money, I just want to know where it's going"

It's a logical argument... in normal standards anyway. Instead of considering the point, Kenji starts to become more agitated and shows this by fingering his red and gold scarf faster and faster... he's going to start a fire at this rate...

"It's... secret."

(Guess that's all I'm going to get out of him...)

I've pinned Kenji as the type to bug someone until he gets what he wants, in other words... persistent... I sigh yet again.

"How much?..."

"8000 yen will do..."

If I was drinking something right now... I'm sure it would be all over Kenji's face right now... what the hell he wants with 8000 yen!? I simply open the door to my room and walk inside only to find Kenji has followed me... definitely persistent.

"8000 yen please..."

I ignore him and sit down at my desk. I pull out my laptop and begin the homework we were set today. I here Kenji grunt with impatience and I can't help but grin.

"I'm growing impatient..."

I still ignore him and start to get on with the mathematics homework. I'll have to cut him loose soon, I really need to concentrate...

"Just go, I don't have any money with me at the minute"

A disgruntled growl is all I receive and I hear him mutter as he makes his way out

"I knew he was a feminist spy, just wants to find out my plans..."

(Peace at last)

I then realise what I'm doing... I HATE MATHEMATICS!

*Scene Break*

I was hoping I'd be spending my free time today, Saturday, goofing off and maybe wasting time sleeping in the library… so why am I trapped in this room, the student council room according to Shizune. She's sat on the opposite side of the table from me writing on pieces of paper at lightning quick speeds. That speed is just not human…

I've been forced into helping Shizune, along with a very nervous Takeo, with some Student Council work as a way of repaying her for the Takeout we ordered on Thursday.

(I can tell she planned this from the start, the fact of me going to Kickboxing and not being able to make it to dinner… and quite possibly the fact that Takeo would tag along… crafty, isn't she?)

I've been tasked with digitally typing up the paperwork that needed to be precise and sorted. Takeo was stuck with sorting and filing but he actually looks at home whilst doing it… does he enjoy tedious, repetitive tasks?

Soon, the workload dwindles and we're all done for the day. I sigh with relief as I finish my last piece and lean back in my chair. Shizune signs something as slow as she can towards Takeo who flusters and then clears his throat.

"Shizune wants to thank us for the work… I think…" he looks at Shizune with a wary look on his face. It's drastic how much his personality changes when in the presence of Shizune. When she isn't around, he's full of himself and comes off as a little perverted but he goes into anxious and submissive mode as soon as he even hears Shizune's name…

(Just what is their history? Did they date or something?)

I frantically shake my head at that thought. That's a pretty bad thought, these two would never be right together no matter how you look at it!

After saying goodbye to Shizune, Takeo taps me on the shoulder to get my attention.

"Let's go to the dojo, I feel like training…"

Why does he want me to go? I guess he just want's someone to talk to… or he wants a training partner… which I'm not suited for…

We head out of the main building of the school and down towards where the sports clubs are usually held and where the Dojo stands. The sky burns a bright orange… how long were we in that room for!? We finished school at midday today and it was a pretty decent day outside too! Well, I can't exactly complain… I was just going to waste it sleeping anyway.

We set up to bags in the dojo and Takeo more or less instantly starts to punch the bag into a pulp. Is he angry? Or is he always like this when he's training? How do I go about this? Does he want to talk?

Takeo begins to chain together kicks on the bag and the rhythmic thwacking and rattling sound deafening. His face has a look of total concentration… I guess he doesn't want to be interrupted by anything.

I form the Centre position and start to practice the basic kicks I learnt today starting with the Forward Kick and the Round-House kick. My legs sting a little each time they make contact with the bag but at least I have the right form and posture now… that means I won't fall over on my arse like an idiot.

Takeo is still chaining together a perfect flow of kicks… it almost looks like it's all one attack, one kick following into the next like a master swordsman would with his swings. For the oversized monster he is… watching him like this is… breath taking. His skill level is probably impossible for me to reach.

After a few more minutes he finishes his chain with one powerful right hook and then sits down on the ground crossing his legs in a way that makes him look like he's meditating. His eyes are closed and his hands are planted on his knees. His breathing is a little accelerated but it soon calms down and he's almost completely silent. He's so serious when it comes to stuff like this I guess… he must have quite a history.

"You're probably wondering why I seem so afraid of the Deaf Mute…"

He remains in the same position and his eyes are still shut… he takes me off guard and I don't know how to respond. I'm very curious but I can't just say that out right…

"It's nothing to do with physical ability. She's a born dictator that one is, she's a force to be reckoned with. I was in the student council myself in the first semester of this year but that was only for a short time…"

While he explains this to me, he remains in his meditating pose… he would definitely suit being an old Sensei in a Dojo in the Edo period.

"Halfway through the semester she kind of exploded into the council and almost forced her way to become a high ranking officer… I would be surprised if she isn't president by the end of the year. Her analytical stare and forceful nature make one hell of a combination. She has a pure aura of control. I joined the council because I wanted to help the student body and make Yamaku even better for the future… that girl just wants to turn it into a form of dictatorship"

That sounds like Shizune all right. She's my class rep and she pressures us pretty hard to do better, it's a little annoying really. I've noticed he tries to avoid using her name… does he see it as Taboo or something?

"So you developed a fear of her because she seems like a born dictator?"

"I sound like a sissy when you say it like that… but yeah, that's pretty much it. Changing subject!"

I know already what's coming next

"Have you thought anymore about joining us?"

(Knew it…)

"Yeah… I guess I don't really have a choice, I'll assume you'll pester me until I agree…"

This school is full of persistent people huh… Takeo opens his eyes and the great big scary grin appears on his face.

"Excellent! You're right, if you said no I'd find a way to get you to joins… I never give up on a potential recruit! BWAHAHA! That's just the kind of guy I am!"

He has reverted back to his original self… I guess he's out of exposition mode and back to over-the-top masculinity mode… great…

A/N

Hope I've nailed Tomoya's sense of humor correctly in this one. This Petal is basically a little bit of character development so I apologise if it seems like it drags a bit. Also if you enjoyed Takeo, let me know. If you have any suggestions for me just drop a review, I'll be happy to consider it! Thanks for reading!


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